"People First"

How to Make Yourself a More Attractive Job Candidate

If you’ve recently hit the job market – or if you’ve been there for a while – then you’re quickly finding out how competitive it can be. As an IT staffing company, we know – we speak to job seekers every day. So every day we’re asked by these same job seekers what can be done to make themselves a more attractive candidate. Thankfully, there are many different things you can do in this respect, but we’ve come up with a handful that should be fairly easy to implement. So without further ado, here are five ways to make yourself a more attractive job candidate.

Perfect Your Resume – In most cases, your resume is going to be your first contact with the prospective employer. So in many ways it will be the first impression that you make on them. Keeping this is mind it’s important to remember, first impressions can make for lasting impressions. Your resume will need to come across as clear and concise. Thankfully, a couple months back, we posted a blog that gives resume advice to help get you noticed.

Get Certified – Professional certifications are a great way to further your career. Not only are they a great way to finesse your technical skills but they also prove to employers that you have the precise skills needed to succeed. Most roles don’t require a professional certification so there are many who don’t pursue them. But in a pool of candidates, the professionally certified ones are sure to stand out.

Take a Class – Furthering your education impresses on employers your drive for knowledge. Nobody wants to higher an employee that’s only in it for the paycheck. Taking a class will help to disprove that notion. And not only that but it can be especially helpful if it teaches you a new skill – which is of course the aim. IT is always changing, updating, inventing and innovating. Picking up on new technology that’s being used in your field can only help to make you that much more attractive as a candidate.

Join a Professional Organization – There are countless organizations for every field in IT. Join them and get active within it. Organize events and become a player in your local community. Not only will this look great on your resume but it will make it easier to keep up-to-date on industry news and could lead to some very valuable connections! If you don’t know where to start a great resource for finding them is LinkedIn.

Provide Stellar References – A professional reference is a recommendation from a person who can vouch for your qualifications for a job. A great recommendation proves that you’re a safe bet. While many employers check these after they’ve already met and interviewed you, you can still ask a colleague for a short version of a reference that you can place on your LinkedIn profile. Having a long list of skills and endorsements – something LinkedIn promotes and makes easy to obtain – can also help to attract attention and soothe any employer concerns.

So while pinning down a job may come with many trials and tribulations, following these tips can certainly help your appeal.